360° Panorama Photo: Engineer Pass, Colorado

Engineer Pass, in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, is one of the highest four-wheel drive roads in the United States, at an elevation of 12,800'. When I worked as a BLM ranger in nearby Lake City during the 1980's, I'd drive up to Engineer about once a month, sometimes to work on the sign (which has been replaced).

In July 2016, I drove up to the pass, my first visit there since 1988. The scenery hasn't changed much but it's become a lot more popular, and I was a bit dismayed at how many jeeps and ATVs were on the roads here now. But it still offers one of the most spectacular views in the Rocky Mountains.